- Joined
- Oct 22, 2006
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- 2,301
So Lori and I went to our local pet store for crazy folk (i.e., people like us ) and found out they had blue-ring centipedes in -- one I'd peg at being around 4" B.L., and two babies at around 1.5" each. The little ones were in small deli cups with some damp paper towels to hold the humidity.
Lori buys me the two babies (I think I'm spoiled sometimes ) and we stop by the lab we work at on the way home -- as I look at the first one under the scope out of sheer me being me, I discover a nematode crawling around the inner surface of the deli lid.
We sterilized our hands, put germination paper dampened with DI water in two sterile petri dishes, and transferred the pedes to the dishes. After sterilizing our hands again, I disected one of the crickets we just bought at the same place to make sure those were nematode-free. I split the remains between the two babies (one of which must have been hungry).
I gave them a good look-over under the scope and didn't see any nematodes under the exoskeleton. I couldn't get a look at their mouths. They're in quarantine for a few days now to see if they're OK to bring home without cross-contaminating anything.
Any other suggestions? Or do you think I did ok? Or is there even any hope now of saving my newest babies?
Pics to follow if they survive quarantine and come home.
Lori buys me the two babies (I think I'm spoiled sometimes ) and we stop by the lab we work at on the way home -- as I look at the first one under the scope out of sheer me being me, I discover a nematode crawling around the inner surface of the deli lid.
We sterilized our hands, put germination paper dampened with DI water in two sterile petri dishes, and transferred the pedes to the dishes. After sterilizing our hands again, I disected one of the crickets we just bought at the same place to make sure those were nematode-free. I split the remains between the two babies (one of which must have been hungry).
I gave them a good look-over under the scope and didn't see any nematodes under the exoskeleton. I couldn't get a look at their mouths. They're in quarantine for a few days now to see if they're OK to bring home without cross-contaminating anything.
Any other suggestions? Or do you think I did ok? Or is there even any hope now of saving my newest babies?
Pics to follow if they survive quarantine and come home.